82nd Airborne Division is in the Middle East
Thousands of US Army paratroopers arrive in Middle East as buildup intensifies
By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart, Reuters
Thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division have started arriving in the Middle East, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday, as President Donald Trump weighs his next steps in the war against Iran.
Reuters first reported on March 18 that Trump’s administration was considering deploying thousands of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East, a move that would expand options to include the deployment of forces ?inside Iranian territory.
The paratroopers, based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, add to the thousands of additional sailors, Marines and Special Operations forces sent to the region. Over the weekend, about 2,500 Marines arrived in the Middle East.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not say specifically where the soldiers were deploying to, but the move was expected.
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The soldiers could be used for several purposes in the Iran war, including an attempt to seize Kharg Island, the hub for 90% of Iran’s oil exports.Earlier this month, Reuters reported there had been discussions within the Trump administration about an operation to take the island. Such a move would be highly risky, since Iran can reach the island with missiles and drones.
Reuters has previously reported the administration has discussed using ground forces inside Iran to extract highly enriched uranium, though that option could mean U.S. troops deeper inside Iran for potentially longer periods of time, trying to dig out material that is deep underground.
This in addition to USS Boxer with it’s embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and escort arriving shortly to join USS Tripoli, already on-station. Kharg Island is such an obvious target symbolically, strategically and tactically it’s just a matter of time until comes under US control one way or another.
On a lighter note Military Times saw fit to attach a pic of flight ops conducted onboard USS Abe Lincoln to the article.
Ahh, the army’s speedbump has arrived!
All respect to the storied 82nd, but without a substantial amount of other mobility assets (take your pick of strategic or theater airlift, a combat aviation brigade, or a whole lot of trucks), the 82nd isn’t doing a whole lot right now. But it provides future options, and future options are always nice to have. Let’s call them flexible response options and sound like I am back at Carlisle trying to keep up with the smart students.
I’ll be praying for those guys every day. An invasion of Kharg Island would be nightmare. Iran would throw everything they have at it and turn it into a hellscape just to prevent us from having it. They might have to add a new verse to the Marine Corps Song if that one goes off without a hitch. Although if Iran destroys it themselves then we can just leave.
There were also discussions of trying to grab up all the enriched nuclear material and then leaving. To me that sounds like mission impossible type stuff.
It’s a bluff. Not power enough for a major operation. And if they needed to make an airborne assault, there’s an entire airborne brigade combat team in Vichenza Italy that was already close to theater. In fact, that’s the whole point of having the 173rd in Italy.